In his last posting, Phil Ford asks a very good question, and
one that might require further consideration:

>What message does this send to our students that the skills
>we "must" possess as a clinician need to be taught and
>evaluated by an outside "expert"?  Does this suggest that
>those skills in question are not appropriate for the
>athletic trainer if I as an educator do not have the
>capacity to formally assess each skill in athletic training?
>Are these skills now beyond entry-level?  

I am very reluctant to claim "mastery" of any medical skill
that is outside of my scope of practice, regardless of what
the clinical competencies may suggest. While I may possess
the basic knowledge and skill to determine some abnormalities
in certain diagnostic tests, differentiation and diagnosis
should be the province of the physician. Although I feel
very competent in orthopaedic assessment, I do not feel many
of the general medical competencies are entry-level, nor
appropriate for athletic training.

While at the 2003 Educators' conference, the question was
raised about what constitutes "mastery". Even a physician
may not have mastery over all clinical skills, but I am far
more comfortable having a physician or other qualified
medical professional evaluate those clinical skills more
germane to their scope of practice. I believe that athletic
trainers are very good at a variety of skills, but I often
think we are trying to be too good at too many things. There
is a cliche' that I remember we applied to athletic training

"We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are
now qualified to do everything, with nothing."

I am concerned that we try to do too much in being all things
to all people, and will eventually be qualified to do nothing
well any more. Let's remember we are ATHLETIC Trainers.



Respectfully,

Paul Alvarez, Ph.D., ATC
Professor of Movement & Sports Science
Athletic Training Clinical Supervisor
University of La Verne
alvarezp@...
(909) 593-3511, x4259